Can You Hold Me
by DarkHeart89
Summary: "Let's get back to the Tower, regroup, and figure out how to take this guy down." His tone was hard for two reasons: he just really wanted to bash this guy's skull in for thinking he could take over their world. And the other? The guy possessed the stones that had shaken his girl. That needed controlling. / Set after "Widow's Run" of Avengers Assemble, a Clintasha one-shot.


Can You Hold Me

Summary: "Let's get back to the Tower, regroup, and figure out how to take this guy down." His tone was hard for two reasons: he just really wanted to bash this guy's skull in for thinking he could take over their world. And the other? The guy possessed the stones that had shaken his girl. That needed controlling.

Rating: T

Pairing: Clintasha [Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff]

AN: OKAY, so out of all of the episodes that I've watched, I have to say - this is the episode of Avengers Assemble that hit me the hardest in terms of Clintasha feels. Honest to god, this /one/ intense moment was enough to send me spiraling into a writing oblivion. I had another one-shot on the horizon that I actually had to put on pause to get this one out. It was just too good of a moment to pass up.

What I love about the Avengers Assemble is that it has all of the potential that the Avengers movie had for Clintasha, and all of the means to make it happen. There's no one to ruin it, and this slow progression is PERFECT. This is providing similar moments to the Avengers, except in this one - they isn't any Brutasha or Laura to get in the way, :D

I'm simply waiting for the episode where they kiss and become a thing. But until then, Imma live in my fantasyland where they are totally, without a doubt, a thing behind the scenes.

I'll title this series at some point, but it's all set in the same way. However, I /am/ going to post this [as I did my other one] in the Avengers movie category, because there is no Avengers Assemble category, and the Earth's Mightiest Heroes one is very barren. I want people to see my work!

Set /immediately/ after Season 2, Episode 12 - I give you this piece!

Enjoy!

[OoOoOoO]

No, Clint didn't have any sarcastic comments to make about the end of the world. No, he didn't even find any of it sardonically humorous and he was pretty sure no one else did either. In fact, his heart had finally quit hammering in his chest for a minute, because it hadn't quit beating this way since this morning.

Half of him blamed it on the electrocution arrow Natasha deflected back his way; the other half of him blamed it on Natasha being the one to deflect it back. Talk about the worst kind of deja vu.

Not to mention this shit had been scary - really scary. Watching Natasha, one of the most in-control people he'd ever known, lose herself because of those infinity stones? Even going as far as wanting Thor to [basically] end her? Yeah, this shit was real. He'd known it before, but he /really/ knew it now.

Everyone was defeated and idea-less at the moment, and no one could really blame them for that. It was a lot to take in, realizing that what they had tried to desperately prevent from happening - had happened anyway. Thanos was in complete control and they had to summon all their fire power to even begin the process of /trying/ to stop him.

But not right now. Right now, Clint was overwhelmed with it all - and overwhelmed with the fact he'd nearly lost Natasha for good.

Instinctively, he'd ran forward and caught her exhausted body earlier, momentarily eased by the comfort of having her in his arms. Never got less freaky when he came that close to losing her. Admittedly, he was capable of keeping cool and looking for the quickest solution, his spy training had always succeeded in helping him keep his eyes on the prize, but he was pretty sure he couldn't have put a stop to Thor banishing her - that was out of his hands entirely, other-worldly mumbo jumbo, god privileges. And that was where his fear had /really/ originated.

He'd wanted to fold up that moment and stuff it in his quiver for another time, because the blatant relief in her eyes, combined with the intense look she'd given him - it meant a lot. It did. He always particularly held the moments where she was most vulnerable with him close, because they were rare and a privilege.

And he could not, without a doubt, do a lifetime without them.

Clint swallowed grimly and almost in perfect time, he looked to Natasha at the same time she was looking at him. "Natasha.."

And he'd be damned if they didn't both rush over to each other and embrace, because fuck, all of this was bigger than them - too much bigger - monumentally bigger and he just needed a minute or two with his girl before they set to saving the world again.

Her grip was bruising and strong, arms unforgivingly tight around his shoulders and placing pressure against all the the already tender locations, but he didn't care. His own hands kept lower, one splaying against the small of his back and the other landing between her shoulder blades, keeping her pressed tightly to him.

The worst, most heart-breaking part was that he could feel her shaking in his arms. She was terrified. She /was/ a control freak and as difficult as that was to deal with, it was what she needed. Natasha thrived on control, in and out of the field. It was a product of her training.

"You're fine now," He muttered as inaudible to the rest of them as he could, nose brushing against her ear. He couldn't offer up any more reassurances than that, frankly, because she wasn't safe - none of them were. They needed to regroup and come up with a plan to handle Thanos. Time was of the essence; they didn't have the time to lose. God only knows what the guy could do to the universe if he had a few spare moments.

Natasha's clutch didn't loosen in the slightest, if anything, it got tighter. She felt in-control of herself and all at the same time /not/. It was a battle of wills. What had nearly almost happened set in and it was a heavy hitter to her psyche. She just needed a consistency and Clint was there, he'd caught her, regardless of her leaving him out of her plan for the infinity stones, regardless of her turning against him and breaking the already once broken line of trust between them. She had reasons, good reasons, but there was no excuse for turning back like that.

And even then, he was still here, holding her and trying to calm down anything that had been stirred back up, and she was all the grateful for it.

Her arms slid down so her fingers could wind into his suit, deciding to take the harsh pulling out on the fabric rather than the man, because his stiffening frame wasn't from discomfort from her, but from physical discomfort from where her arms had been; she knew that much. Her gaze was down-trodden and she didn't look up, but his grasp on her back was relentless. She felt weak and overridden, two unnatural feelings. Her eyes would have only glanced upwards to briefly glare at her shaking hands.

The adrenaline had worn off, her battle-mode no longer rearing its head, and the uncertainty reigned instead. She hated herself for it, felt like a failure.

"I'm sorry," She uttered, the two words heavily laced. She wanted to clarify, she wanted to apologize for her deceit in the past several hours, but she didn't have the time.

"Natasha," He repeated her name, for a third time, garnering her gaze. "You did what you had to do." Before, yes, he'd been mad - hurt - double-crossed. But she only did what she needed to do, just like she had before.

She'd protected him from the Infinity Stones. Thor and her were the only ones who could handle them, truthfully, and he would have been as susceptible as Tony to fall victim to their charms. It could have easily been a catastrophe if he'd gotten near the stones, because his mental resolve was a hell of a lot less developed than hers.

Was he a little sour about the electrocution? Maybe. But any anger prior to their backup call had dissolved to understanding, and any lingering anger after that? That had evaporated as soon as he'd seen her almost lose control.

Grudges always took a back seat when it came to her: that was /her/ superpower over him.

The spy nodded and he stroked her lower back once more with a hand, before pulling away and simply winding an arm around her waist. She was mildly distraught and he figured a little gentle, familiar touch could do her good. Her own arm wound around his torso, because he was right.

Clint tore his soft, protective gaze from hers to look over at Tony, blue eyes suddenly deathly serious. "Let's get back to the Tower, regroup, and figure out how to take this guy down." His tone was hard for two reasons: he just really wanted to bash this guy's skull in for thinking he could take over their world. And the other? The guy possessed the stones that had shaken his girl. That needed controlling.

The man smiled wryly in return. "I'll get the Avenjet." Silent for a moment to order JARVIS to bring it around, grimacing as he nodded towards Natasha. "You think she can fly it?"

He didn't even need to answer for her, because her head raised, eyes battle-hardened. Clint had to hand it to her - she always put the mission first.

"I can fly it." There was one singular tremor in her voice, before any shakiness was gone all together, her hand tightening against his back.

Clint couldn't help but grin: that was his girl.

[OoOoOoO]

AN: I REALLY loved this one, because it was shorter than my others [or what my future others will probably be length-wise], but to me, provided as much feeling in the cutback. I didn't need to say much, because their actions and thoughts said it all.

If you haven't watched this episode, DO IT! It provides plenty. You won't regret it!

Reviews are my life; don't kill me!


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